Game 138
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 1
Thursday, January 7, 1937
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Montréal’s high riding Canadiens opened up a six point lead on the National Hockey League’s Canadian section tonight by defeating the third place Toronto Leafs 4 to 1 in a hard checking game before 6,500 fans.
The Flying Frenchmen spotted the Leafs an early goal by Harvey Jackson, went on to tie the game in the first period, and score one in the second and two more in the third. For the most part, they had the Leafs bottled by their tenacious checking.
Jackson punched home a blistering shot from fifteen feet out five minutes after the game opened, but Joffre Desilets tied that at 11:56 on a play started by big Babe Siebert, spearhead of the Montréal offensive. It was the first of three points for Desilets, who also gained assists on the third period goals of Georges Mantha and Toe Blake.
Aurèle Joliat scored the second period goal that sent the Canadiens into a lead Toronto never threatened to overcome. Siebert again made the play, fighting the puck out from behind the net to the little winger.
The heavy hitting Leafs subjected the fast, but light, Canadiens to a terrific bodychecking barrage, and Paul Haynes, Desilets and Walter Buswell all were taped up during the night. Haynes didn’t play after he was carried off in the second period when he stopped a puck just above the eye.
Jackson blazed the first dangerous shot off Cude’s stick, after the Toronto line changed, then Siebert and little Joliat gave Broda some anxious moments. Jackson shot the Leafs into the lead at 5:31, skating to the Habitant defence and firing with such force Cude didn’t move before the puck was in.
Horner took the first penalty for boarding Brown, but the Canadien attack spent itself against the Leafs’ powerful defence. The Frenchmen tied the score at 11:56, however, on a play made by the burly Siebert, who carried down left wing and passed out to Desilets for a setup shot from close in.
Metz tore in behind the Canadien defence, but Cude got a skate on the redhead’s hard, close in shot. There wasn’t much action to the play until the starting lines came on again. MacKenzie went through Day and Hamilton easily, and almost tore off Broda’s shoulder with a bullet drive.
Toward the end of the period, the pace had slackened to almost a walk, with neither Cude nor Broda exerted to hold the long shots.
Joliat eased in on top of Broda in the first minute of the second period, but, with Thoms riding the little Canadien, he shot into Broda’s pads. Siebert drew a high sticking penalty and in an ensuing scramble, Haynes was struck in the face by a flying puck. He was carried off. Apps missed the corner with a shot and Cude kicked out another from Jackson before Siebert returned.
With the pace suddenly quickening, Jackson burned one off Cude’s pads. The puck rolled into the clear, but there wasn’t a Leaf around to poke it in. Then Siebert and Desilets broke from a four man attack and Desilets’ shot hit the post.
Horner and Fowler hurtled Morenz high into the air when Howie tried to speed his way through. Big Siebert, so far the spearhead of both the Canadiens’ attakc and defence, paved the way for the second Habitant goal at 11:01. He and Gagnon brought the play behind the Leaf net, then Siebert fought for the puck until he cleared it out to Joliat, who poked it home to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead.
The Leafs carried the play for the first few minutes, but other than a close in try by Fowler, the Canadiens’ checking held Toronto in control easily. Then, just at the five minute mark, Mantha shot the third Canadien goal after a sparkling passing play with Blake and Desilets.
Deislets went off for putting down Day, and five Leafs piled in after goals. They did everything but get shots away at Cude, but a penalty to Siebert, as Desilets skated back, gave Toronto another chance with the man advantage. Then Day went off for tripping before an attack was organized. They both were back before any damage was done at either end.
Horner apparently had a bumping feud with all Canadiens and he finally traded a couple of pokes with MacKenzie, but there were no penalties. Morenz shot wide when in the clear, and on the return rush Shill and Metz piled up with Cude, but they couldn’t get the puck in. Shill went off for cross checking and came back just as the period ended, without the Canadiens having made a tough shot on Broda.
The Leafs held the play for a short period after the halfway mark, but the Canadiens, led by Siebert, put on a momentary burst which had Broda hopping around. They got the next goal, too, with Blake scoring at 16:22 with the help of Mantha and Desilets. The shot went in on the short side as Broda fell the other way.
Horner smashed down Desilets and took a penalty. Desilets stayed down for a couple of minutes and was helped off. Horner was still in the penalty box at the end of the game.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, January 8, 1937
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR GOAL – 05:31 – Jackson
MTL GOAL – 11:56 – Desilets (Siebert, Haynes)
TOR PEN – Horner
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 11:01 – Joliat (Gagnon, Siebert)
MTL PEN – Siebert
TOR PEN – Shill
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 05:00 – Mantha (Desilets, Blake)
MTL GOAL – 16:22 – Blake (Mantha, Desilets)
MTL PENS – Desilets, Siebert
TOR PENS – Day, Horner
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Cude (W)
TOR – Broda (L)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Wilf Cude. Defence: Walter Buswell, Bill MacKenzie, Georges Mantha. Forwards: Toe Blake, George Brown, Joffre Desilets, Johnny Gagnon, Paul Haynes, Aurèle Joliat, Rod Lorrain, Jack McGill, Bill Miller, Howie Morenz, Babe Siebert (C).
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Hap Day (C), Jimmy Fowler, Reg Hamilton, Red Horner. Forwards: Syl Apps, Bob Davidson, Gordie Drillon, Frank Finnigan, Busher Jackson, Bud Jarvis, Bill Kendall, Nick Metz, Jack Shill, Bill Thoms.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 13-8-2 (.609)
TOR – 7-11-2 (.400)
ATTENDANCE
6,500
Two Solitudes 